Garment-supporter



(No Model.)

B. 13. WEST.

GARMENT SUPPORTER.

N0. 342,489. Patented May 25, 1886.

gwuawfoz,

N, PETERS. Pholmmmgriphcr, Washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLA ELIZABETH XVEST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO JOHN P. LINDSAY, OF WEST DERBY, VERMONT.

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 342,489, dated May 25, 1886.

Application filed February 12, 1886. Serial No. 191,725. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ELLA ELIZABETH WEsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hose-Supporters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings;

My invention relates to improvements in hose-supporters;-and it consists of the peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved hose or stocking supporter with means whereby no undue strain or force is exerted on the yielding or elastic strap when the latter gives to the movements of the wearer or in adjusting it to the person, and thereby render the device more durable, stronger, and efficient, and which gives better results in practice.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown 2 severalforms of stocking-supporters which are provided with my improvement, which limits the play of the flexible, extensible, or elastic strap, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of a hose or stocking supporter having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a modified form of the device shown in Fig. 1, the non-elastic strap being provided with two branches and a yielding or elastic strap. Fig. 3 is a view of a stocking-supporter having the two branches provided with elastic straps; and Fig. 4 is a view showing the supporter provided with two branches, each of which has the yielding strap permanently attached thereto at two or more points of their length.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates a non-elastic strap of any suitable fibrous material, and 5 provided at one end with a clasp, B, of any preferred form or class. This non-elastic strap has a single branch or extension, to, or the strap and its branch may be made in one piece, as shown, and to the free end of the branch a is attached one section, 0, of a sectional clasp,

O, the other section, 0, of the clasp being attached to an elastic strap, D. This elastic strap D is permanently secured or attached at or near the middle of the non-elastic strap A, at the point where the branch a joins the same, 5 5 and the free end of the elastic strap does not extend to the free end of the branch a, thus making the elastic strap shorter than the non elastic branch (I; and thus when the sections 0'' of the clasp O, at the free ends of the straps D a, are joined or connected together a considerable slack is provided in the branch (I, which is taken up when the elastic strap D is extended by the movements of the wearer, or in adjusting the supporter to the person, and as both ends of the elastic strap are attached (the one end permanently and the other end detachably) to the non-elastic branch a, the latter will limit the play or amount of extension of the elastic strap,whereby the supporter is rendered more durable, stronger, and gives better results.

The strap A and its branch a are made of sufficient length to extend from the waist to the knee of the wearer, considerable slack be- 7 5 ingallowed in the branch a when the free end of the elastic strap is detachably connected to the free end of the branch a. One endof the supporter is connected to the upper end of the stocking of the wearer, and the other endthereof is connected to the corset or other undergarment.

Vhen the supporter is provided with my preferred form of clasps, B 0, shown herein, the stud c of the latter clasp, G, passes through an eyelet in the lower edge of the corset and engages a loop in the section 0, and the pin of the clasp B engages the upper edge of the stocking. If preferred, the positions of the clasps may be reversed, and other forms of 0 clasps may be substituted for the devices shown herein without departing from the principle of my invention.

WVhen the supporter is attached to an undergarment or corset and stocking, the elastic 5 strap serves to support the stocking, while at the same time the slack is permitted or maintained in the branch to, and when the elastic strap has been extended by the movements of the wearer it draws upon and takes up the slack in the non-elastic branch 0, which is thus drawn taut and prevents the further extension of the elastic strap, as will be very readily understood.

In the device shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the non-elastic strap A has two non-elastic branches, a a, each of which is provided near its upper end with a loop, a. One section of the clasp G is secured in the loop a, and the other section in the free extremity of the branch, and the branches are connected to opposite points on the stocking, or corset, 8:0. The strap A has both ends of the elastic yielding strap D attached thereto permanently, so as to provide the necessary slack in said strap A, which is taken up when the elastic strap is extended, as is obvious.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings the non-elastic strap A has the usual non-elastic branches at and the clasp B, and each branch is provided with theshort elastic strap D, that is permanently attached thereto at the point where the branch joins the strap A. The branch a carries one of the sections of the clasp O, and its elastic strap D carries the other section of the clasp, so that when the sections of the clasp are locked together the slack will be provided in the branch a to be taken up by the extension of the elastic strap.

The device shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings has the elastic strap D confined to the branch a at ,a point between the ends of the said straps D a by means of a loop or band, b, through which the elastic strap is free to move or slide. This loop or band is permanently attached to the non-elastic branch a, and it is of metal fabric or other suitable material, and by means of this loop or band the elastic and non-elastic straps are connected to prevent entanglement with the adjacent straps, while at the same time the necessary extension of the elastic strap is permitted.

My improved supporter is very simple, strong, and durable in its construction, thoroughly effective for the purposes designed, and cheap anddnexpensive of manufacture.

The device is readily applied and detached,

and the objectionable undue strain and wear on the elastic strap is obviated to prevent the device from being worn out too soon and becoming useless. I

The device is easy to the wearer, and it does not injure or soil the clothing, and it is free from any obnoxious coloring-matter.

The non-elastic fabric strap of my improved stockirig-supporter is to be placed adjacent or close to the wearers person, and the elastic strap bears against the fabric strap and is held thereby out of contact with the person or flesh of the wearer, so that it cannot injure the skin or flesh.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A stockingsupporter having clasps at its ends comprising a non-elastic strap and a short yielding or elastic strap attached to the nonelastic strap, substantially as described, to

provide slack in the latter strap and normally support the stocking, whereby when the yield ing strap is extended the slack in the nonelastic strap will be taken up and the latter -will limit the play of the former strap, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a stockingsupporter having a non-elasticfabrie strap provided with clasps at its ends and lying nearest to the person of the wearer, and a short elastic strap bearing against the fabric strap and thereby held out of contact with the wearers person, the short elastic strap being permanently attached at one end to the fabric strap, and detachably connected at its opposite end to one of the ends of the fabric strap, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

ELLA ELIZABETH VEST.

il'nesses:

JACOB S. XVEsr, BENJ. F. Yarns. 

